


Summer Daze

by catholicorprotestant



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, protective hajime, they're 13, they're precious, tooru goes through puberty before hajime, tooru is so awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 20:59:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catholicorprotestant/pseuds/catholicorprotestant
Summary: It's the last summer before junior high. Hajime and Tooru had the best summer ever planned, but their plans are ruined when Hajime's parents suddenly decide to spend the summer in Tokyo with his grandparents. When Hajime comes back, the Tooru he left is not the Tooru he comes back to.





	Summer Daze

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this age group is hard for me to write, but I tried. They all mature so differently. So this idea came to me when talking to my friend. I've been rewatching the anime and in the Oikawa arch Hajime narrates, he mentioins that when they started junior high, Tooru had matured earlier than the others. Knowing Oikawa there is no way that means his personality, so I intrepted it as puberty. 
> 
> Anyway enjoy!

Tooru bounced across the street, ready to play with his best friend. Hajime watched him sadly. His shoulders sunk and his head fell to face the ground. It wasn’t fair that he couldn’t spend the summer playing with his best friend, catching bugs, and making firefly lamps. There wouldn’t be any more sleepovers where they fought over whether to watch Godzilla or whatever alien movie Tooru wanted before deciding to watch both. No more hide and seek and tag. 

They had made plans for this summer. Tooru wanted to practice volleyball with him before they started junior high in the fall. His brother was going to hold a little clinic again this year like always. They had both been looking forward to it. Hajime was sure that they would make it as starters. They had been practicing so hard, and Tooru’s brother had played in school, and had been helping them both. He had been looking forward to the nights he was going to tell Tooru all the scary stories he knew because he insisted he wouldn’t get scared even though Hajime knew he would. They were going to have the best summer ever. They even made a list.

No, Hajime’s parents had decided the family was going to go on a stupid trip to visit his grandparents in Tokyo. He hated it here. It was too loud and too crowded. He couldn’t run around and catch bugs. He had to stay in the house so he wouldn’t get lost and only got to go places with his parents. It wasn’t how he wanted to spend his summer before junior high. He knew he and Tooru wouldn’t be little kids much longer. They had just turned thirteen and while they still felt like kids, his mom told him that something called puberty was going to come soon. They wouldn’t like to do the same kid things. He didn’t know how true that was, but he knew that the teenagers he saw never had the same kind of fun. Maybe you just stopped having fun when you hit puberty. He didn’t want that. All he wanted was to have fun with his best friend.

Tooru reached their house, tackling Hajime in a hug. He beamed at Hajime. “Do you want to go for an adventure in the woods?” Tooru’s eyes were bright.

“Yes, but I can’t.” Hajime huffed.

Tooru stared at him through his oversized glasses, pushing them up, a frown on his face. Hajime took note of his friend. His hair was a mess, and his clothes didn’t fit right. His shoes were never tied appropriately. How could he leave him alone? Kids were so mean to him.They would tease him and call him names, and make fun of him for how he looked and dressed. They picked on him all the time. If he wasn’t there to punch them, then who would? He didn’t want to see anymore bruises or cuts on his friend. Tooru was too scared of the other kids to do anything; he always hid behind Hajime when he saw them. 

“Why not?” Tooru frowned, his head falling to the side.

“My mom and dad decided we’re going to spend the summer with my grandparents in Tokyo. I don’t wanna go. Why are parents so mean?” Hajime huffed.

“You mean…you’ll be gone…all summer?”

Tooru chewed on his lip, tears filling his eyes. Hajime stared at him. It hurt to see him like this. He had no other friends. Hajime couldn’t imagine how lonely that must be. He never had that problem. Any time Tooru was sick or his family went on vacation, he missed him, sure, but he had kids to play with. All Tooru’s worries were spread across his face. Their perfect summer was ruined. Tooru was probably thinking the perfect summer ever was going to turn out to be the worst. 

“Yeah,” Hajime frowned. “I’m going to miss you, but we can talk on the phone though, okay? I can call you when we get there!”

“But…” Tooru stared at the ground. “But who will I play with? What will I do? Tell me what to do…I don’t know.”

Hajime frowned. Honestly he wasn’t sure; he wished he had the answers. He wished Tooru had other friends like he did. It would have been perfect if any of them liked him. They all thought he was too quiet and weird. Hajime took a breath and glanced at his dad who was putting their stuff in the car. An idea sprung to his mind.

“You’ll get to go to that volleyball clinic! Maybe you can make friends there. And if not, just throw a ball at them and pretend it was an accident. You’ll be okay, Tooru. I promise.” Hajime offered him a smile.

Tooru shifted. “…I guess…”

“It’ll be fun. I promise!”

“Can I come with you?” Tooru’s face lit up.

“I don’t think so,” Hajime frowned. “I asked my mom and she said no, but maybe I can hide you!”

Tooru laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Hajime, honey, we’re leaving!” His mom called.

“I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll call you when I get there, okay? Have fun! Get really good at volleyball! We’re going to be awesome, you and me, okay?”

Tooru nodded. They hugged for a moment, Hajime being sure to squeeze him tight. He pulled away, holding him at arm’s length. “Remember if anyone messes with you, all you gotta do is punch ‘em okay?” Tooru nodded. Hajime smiled.

“Hajime, now!” His father called.

“I’ll call you. Have a good summer, Tooru.” Hajime walked to the car getting in. He turned around and watched Tooru until they turned off the street. When he turned back around, he pulled his knees to his chest and watched the streets pass by, tears in his eyes.

The summer went well for Hajime. He always enjoyed seeing his grandparents. His grandma made the best food, and there always deserts. His grandfather told stories, most of them were legends and funny stories, but some were about the war. He didn’t like those as much as the other stories. They were mostly sad and scary. 

His cousins came over and they played games, and caught up. He got to visit so many places. His dad even took them to the planetarium. It reminded him of Tooru. He would have enjoyed it. He got to go to Tokyo Midtown Plaza in the Roppongi district to see Godzilla coming out of the ground. His dad took him to see the Hotel Gracery, letting him stay in the Godzilla room for one night. Hajime had the best time. They even got go to the Café Bonjour in the Toho cinema and get a Godzilla cake. He got new replicas and tee shirts. He couldn’t wait to show Tooru.

He called Tooru after his adventures with his dad to tell him all about it. Tooru listened quietly, getting excited at all the right parts. Despite how excited he was, he couldn’t help but feel like he was having a much better summer than his best friend. He was too quiet. His voice even sounded strange. Maybe he was sick? He sounded sad too, like he was crying. Hajime paused his excitement for a moment.

“What about you, Tooru? How’s your summer going?” Hajime was quiet, waiting.

“Um…” Tooru was quiet. “It’s okay. I got contacts! It’s so much nicer than glasses because don’t have to keep messing with them. Oh! I’m growing a lot! It kind of hurts a little bit, but my mom says it’s okay and will go away. It’s just because I’m growing so fast. Um…Oh I got new clothes because I’m growing out of everything. They’re really nice, Hajime! The volleyball clinic is going really well. I’m taller than everyone now! I think I’m getting better at it, but it’s still a little awkward because I’m not really used to how much I’ve grown just yet.”

Hajime frowned. He didn’t like the way Tooru sounded. His voice was all over the place. He sounded like he was crying maybe. Hajime didn’t really know what it was. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You’re not lying, right?”

Tooru sighed. “No, I’m not lying.”

“You sound different.” Hajime glanced at where his family was starting to get dinner started.

“Oh…” Tooru was quiet. “My brother says it’s because of puberty.”

Hajime almost dropped the phone. No. They wouldn’t have fun anymore. Tooru was already having it happen. Tears filled his eyes. He slid down the wall to sit down. He didn’t know what to say. All this time he was spending in Tokyo and he lost the last little bit of time with his best friend that they could have fun.

“Hajime?”

“I’m here.”

“Oh…” Tooru was quiet again.

“Hey Tooru…”

“Hm?”

“Do you still want to catch bugs with me and make lightning bug lamps? We can play hide and seek too. And tag.” Hajime held his breath.

“Well sure, but…” Tooru sighed. “I haven’t gotten to do it all summer and I am having so much fun with volleyball I haven’t even thought of those things to be honest? Oh! I got some new movies! We can watch them when you get back.”

Hajime was quiet for a moment. He didn’t know what to think. His best friend was so different now. What if they weren’t best friends when they got back? What if Tooru going through puberty over the summer meant they would like different things and grow apart? He didn’t want things to change. He wanted to always be able to have fun with him and run through the woods, and pretend and have imaginary adventures. He wanted to still climb trees and swim in the stream with him. He wanted to continue playing with bugs and looking at them.

“Are you okay, Hajime?” Tooru asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh…you were quiet.”

“Oh sorry, I was just…I really want to go back to Miyagi. I miss you and playing.” 

“Hey, Hajime?” Tooru’s voice was soft.

“Yeah?”

“Do you still like me? I mean…do you still want to be my best friend?”

Tooru’s voice broke. This time Hajime knew it was really him starting to cry and not just some dumb part of growing up. He could see his face. He’d be chewing is lip, looking so scared and anxious. He pulled at his sleeve.

“Yeah, of course. We’ll always be best friends.”

“Promise?”

“Double promise. We did a spit handshake when we were four. It’s like the law,” Hajime laughed.

“No, it’s not. We’re not little kids. You know that’s not how it works.”

Hajime’s heart dropped. “Well I still think so.”

“I’m just scared. I don’t have any other friends.” Tooru sniffled.

“Don’t worry, Tooru. I’ll always be your best friend.” Hajime’s mom called him for dinner. “Hey, I have to go. My mom is calling. But I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. I miss you, Hajime.”

“I miss you too. Bye.”

“Bye.”

The summer went by mostly uneventfully. Hajime kept himself busy mostly. He tried to keep the daily phone calls with Tooru, but there were days he forgot. Once he forgot for a week and when he called him, Tooru was crying because he thought they weren’t friends anymore. Hajime was worried. He didn’t like how scared his best friend was. It made him want to go home. Tooru had grown to be really awkward when they were eight. Kids picked on him even more. Maybe they were picking on him more now and Hajime wasn’t there to stop it.

He was ready when it came time to go home. He watched excitedly as the mountains and hill turned into fields. The air was fresher, the sounds were quieter. There weren’t the giant buildings crowding the skyline. It felt refreshing, calm, peaceful. He couldn’t wait to get home. He had to make it up to Tooru. They had one week before they were back in classes and he intended to make the best of it.

The sun was starting to set when his parents pulled up to the house. Hajime practically jumped out of the car, calling to his parents he was going to Tooru’s. His mother called after him to be safe and be home before dark. Hajime approached the house, pausing. He noticed Tooru’s brother and who he could only conclude was Tooru, passing the volleyball back and forth. The older brother paused, correcting Tooru’s form. Hajime stared, watching them.

Tooru really was taller…a lot taller. His clothes fit him better. And from the angle Hajime was looking at him, his hair looked nice too. He looked so much different. His family had left only two months ago. How could he be so different? Hajime continued walking slowly toward the house. Tooru’s brother saw him first. He grabbed the ball Tooru had just volleyed to him, holding under his arm and waving to Hajime who lifted a hand slowly. He took a deep breath. This wasn’t the tiny kid he had left behind.

Tooru turned around, a smile on his face. He raced towards him, actually knocking him down with a hug. They both laughed for a minute, hugging each other tight. Tooru stood up and brushed his hair back. He glanced up at the sunset before looking down at Hajime. He was almost a head taller than he was. It felt so strange.

“You said your family would be home midday. It’s sunset.” Tooru shook his head. “Lies are bad, Hajime.”

“It’s not my fault traffic was bad.” Hajime shrugged, brushing the grass off himself.

Now that he was able to properly look at his friend, his heart raced. Tooru had gotten a haircut that caused the hair to be feathered around his forehead. The rest of it was styled back. It looked much better than the mop he had when Hajime had left. His face had lost the softness of childhood and was now more angular and full. Without his glasses in the way, his face looked so different. His brown eyes seemed richer. His clothes fell off of him perfectly. He looked so grown up from before. 

Hajime swallowed. He felt different. It was a strange feeling. His stomach was fluttery and his heart raced. He felt his palms getting sweaty. He couldn’t breathe and there was a lump in his throat. Something had stirred inside him. He couldn’t take his eyes off his best friend, his childhood friend who had grown from an adorable little kid, to an awkward kid, and now…now he was…beautiful.

“Are you okay?” Tooru, shifted his weight, folding his arms. He averted his eyes. “Please stop staring at me. It’s making me uncomfortable…”

“I…I’m sorry.” Hajime breathed. “Um…you look…you look good.”

“Thank you!” Tooru sang. “I still feel weird.” He frowned.

“Why?” Hajime smirked. “You know nobody’s going to mess with you anymore right? You’re a giant now.”

“I don’t know about that…” Tooru pulled his mouth to the side. “People pay more attention to me now? It’s weird. I don’t know how I feel about it?”

“You’ll grow into it. Do you want to spend the night? We can movie marathon and I can show you my new Godzilla stuff! I got you some stuff too!” Hajime asked excitedly.

“I have to ask my mom. Hold on.” Tooru raced to the door, calling in, before running inside. Hajime didn’t know whether to go inside or stay where he was. Almost like answering his own question, Tooru raced back out, his backpack hanging off one shoulder.

“She said yes.” Tooru rocked back once more, before throwing his arms around Hajime’s neck. “I missed you so much. Do you want to race through the woods? Maybe we can find some fireflies. That would be fun. And then we can have a movie marathon. Oooh can we stay up all night because I have a lot to tell you and I want to hear all about Tokyo.”

Hajime grinned, and nodded. His fears melted away. He was wrong. Puberty didn’t mean you couldn’t have fun. He and Tooru were going to have even more fun as they got older, he could feel it.

“Hey Tooru?”

“Yeah?”

“Since we’re not kids anymore…I think we should have nicknames. Especially since we’re going to be on the volleyball team.”

“That would be great! I’ll think about it.”

“Okay.”

Tooru dropped his bag on the ground next to Hajime’s house. “Last one to the woods is a dummy!” And with that he took off, Hajime at his heels.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay one thing I want to point out is the part where Hajime sees Tooru when he comes back. It's not that Tooru is suddenly grown, but it's like when you're little and your friend goes through puberty before you and they look so grown up, but then when you get a little older you're like lol we were just babies. It's like that. Hajime's comparison. 
> 
> Thank you! Please leave a comment. :)


End file.
